Facts

In 1992, Oracle Corp. hired Mark Robertson as a technical analyst. In 1993, Robertson was injured in a water skiing accident and became wheelchair bound. Using the wheelchair, he was able to continue to work. In 2001, he filed for long-term disability benefits under Oracle's long-term disability plan. The plan administrator, Hartford Life and Accident Insurance Co., initially found Robertson eligible, but later terminated his benefits. As a result, Robertson sued defendants under the Employee Retirement Income Security Act.

PLAINTIFF'S CONTENTIONS:
Robertson alleged that the termination of his benefits amounted to an abuse of discretion.

DEFENDANT'S CONTENTIONS:
The defense asserted that Robertson was able to work at various jobs and used surveillance of Robertson to show that his functional capacity was greater than previously reported.

Result

The federal district court granted Robertson summary judgment and ordered the defendants to pay disability benefits with interest. Following an appeal, the parties settled for undisclosed terms.